11. Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.”
13. So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
14. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them.
15. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.
16. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.
17. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.”
18. So he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.
19. And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt.
20. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
21. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”
22. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
23. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
24. Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.”